Chapter 8: The Guardian

I sat on the bed for an unknown period of time while Byer worked in another room. Lara and I continued to talk. She seemed pretty interested in Earth and what it was like so I shared stories about the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Pacific Ocean, the beach, skiing in the local mountains, and other activities I'd done over my lifetime. I knew she was keeping me occupied so that Byer could work and not be pressured to hurry. I liked that I didn't need to sleep as I had no idea how much time had already elapsed since my arrival. I explained to Byer I wanted something that looked more like a hybrid of John Lennon's and Harry Potter's glasses, and actually drew out a rough diagram of what it was I wanted. He warned they might not be as effective as the other ones, but if I wore them faithfully, over time, they would eventually work. When Byer returned, he carried a smaller, less bulky pair of sunglasses, or filters as I should probably use their terms. They had small panels on the outer sides but the frames were smaller, more attractive, and definitely more me.

Byer said, "I wish to put this on you Alexis Perry, and make sure they will work. Would you please close your optic receptors?"

"Sure," I said, "and we call them eyes."

I closed my eyes and I felt Byer put the filters on my face. Only, it wasn't quite the same feeling as glasses. The filters seemed to attach to my face, but not in a painful way, and nothing rested on my ears.

Byer said, "You may open your optic receptors now Alexis Perry."

I opened my eyes and gasped. There before me was a pale green wall with all kinds of strange equipment sitting on what appeared to be wooden shelves. I looked around and I saw a table, a chair, a window. I slid off the bed and walked to the window. I touched the widow frame and looked out. Though it I saw the blackness of space, the whiteness of stars and distant planets. 'I really am in a space ship.'

"Oh Toto," I whispered. "We are definitely not in Kansas anymore."

I turned around and looked at Byer and Lara. They seemed pleased with my response to the filters. Byer said, "The filters appear to be working properly. How do they feel?"

"Fine," I said.

"Good," he said. "As your optic receptors heal the filters will lighten until they are clear. Once they have gone clear, I will remove them."

"How long will that take?" I asked.

"There is no way in knowing," he said. I felt this was the first honest response I'd gotten in some time. "I wish to check on you and see how they are working after a few rest periods. Monitor your progress. Ensure they are functioning properly. Will this be acceptable for you, Alexis Perry?"

"Yes. Wait, will I have to sleep in these?" I asked.

"It is best if they stay on over your optic receptors until they fully heal, so yes, you will keep them on during bathing and rest periods," he said.

"Will I hurt my face if I sleep on them?" I asked.

"They will cause no harm to you," he said as he gently pushed on them. "They are designed to protect you and help your optic receptors heal more quickly."

I noticed that I didn't feel anything when he pushed, no pain, no discomfort, not even the pressure of his fingers pushing on the frames. "Oh, okay, then I guess I can live with this."

"Good," said Byer.

"In that case, can she leave now?" Lara asked sounding a bit excited.

"Will you be escorting her?" asked Byer.

"Yes," she said.

"Then Alexis Perry," said Byer, "I bid you farewell. Until next we meet."

"Bye Doc, and thanks for the specs," I said tapping the side of my filters.

We entered the hallway and for the first time since I arrived, I could see the doors, the pathways, the strange characters by each one, and the colors, all the beautiful colors. It was almost overwhelming. I was paralyzed for a moment, and I just stood there just taking it all in. Lara seemed to understand and just stood and watched me as I looked at everything. I reached up and touched the strange characters, feeling the ridges and lines under my fingers.

"Is this your language?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," said Lara. "I come from the same world as, he does."

I turned and looked at her "You mean Oliver?"

She smiled and said, "Is that what you call him?"

"Yeah," I said looking back at the characters. "When we first met, that's what he told me his name was. I know that isn't what your people call him, but he said he likes it when I call him that."

"Does 'Oliver' have any meaning in your world?" she asked.

I smiled. "Only to me, I guess. It's a fairly common man's name in my world." I turned and faced Lara. "So, are you still willing to show me this incredible ship?"

Lara's face spoke volumes. She led me down the hallways showing me the barracks where the crew slept. Each member had his or her room. Lara showed me her room with its simple decorations. She explained she would collect things from the different worlds they had visited. Her bed was simple, clean, and comfortable. It could handle two people if necessary, but she admitted she didn't engage in sexual relations with the crew members as it often created problems for her, so when she could, she'd try to meet males of the different worlds she'd visit.

I followed her like a lost puppy, and she took me to where the crew went for recreation time. Here I saw a lot more different creatures, but their features were more defined than before. Some seemed to be reading from what I could call an eReader or tablet computer, some were playing a game that looked a bit like chess, while others were dancing, I think. A few looked up at me and then I noticed the clicking. I began to feel self-conscious at wearing these damn filters and I looked at Lara.

"Is it me or the filters they're talking about?"

"You," she whispered. "We've all heard about you. You're kind of a legend."

"I feel like a side-show freak," I said.

"A what?" Lara asked.

"Never mind. Can we go please?"

"Sure," said Lara and led me out.

We continued walking and as we encountered more creatures, I felt more awkward. I didn't want to be here anymore. They would click and point at me and I was suddenly back in middle school with Mandy, being picked on by the older girls because we were different. We were both blondes with blue eyes, from two-parent families, and best friends. Then for the first time in my life, I understood. I wasn't a freak. I was just different. Something these creatures have never seen before. I was to them, what they were to me.

Lara stopped at a door and said, "This is where our tour ends Alexis Perry. Beyond this door is where I was to bring you according to the card you had given me when we were in the bathing room. I will enter with you as I have disobeyed orders and will accept any punishment that comes my way."

"How did you disobey orders?" I asked.

"This said to bring you here and I didn't."

"But you took me to get my eyes fixed," I said.

"Yes, but I also took you all over the ship. I'm sure by now my disobedience is quite well known."

I reached out, took her hand, and smiled. "I've got your back."

"My back?"

'Right, why would she know any English Earth idioms?' "I just mean, I won't let Oliver punish you for doing me a favor."

She opened the door and led me in. It appeared to be a small elevator. She made that familiar clicking sound and the elevator moved upward. When the door opened, I saw before me a large room with lots of creatures. I saw Valente working at what looked like a computer monitor. Her skin was even greener than I remembered. Other creatures moved about clicking, but didn't seem to pay us much attention. Valente glanced over at us and smiled.

"Alexis Perry!" She stepped away from her station and walked over to me. "What brings you here?"

"This was where she was to come after bathing," said Lara in a firm tone.

"Oh," said Valente, then whispered and pointed at another door. "He's in there, and he's in a meeting."

Lara sighed, "We'll wait."

Valente smiled and asked, "Have you had a chance to see the ship?"

"Yes," I said. "Lara was nice enough to show me around."

"At least now I know why it took you so long," said Oliver.

We looked over and saw Oliver standing in the doorway that Valente had pointed at a moment before. His black hair was styled neatly, but his brown eyes showed his displeasure in my tardiness. Lara and Valente seem to stiffen and stand rather straight.

"Hi," I said nervously.

"What is that on your eyes?" he asked.

"Sir," said Lara, "Alexis Perry's optic receptors were malfunctioning so I took her to Byer and he put these filters on her."

"Malfunctioning how?" he asked seriously.

"She could not see the colors of our ship, sir," said Lara. Her tone was no longer as friendly as it had been before, but sharp and almost militaristic.

He looked at me and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know. I mean, realize your ship wasn't all white," I said.

"Byer says-" began Lara but Oliver put his hand up and she stopped.

"I will speak with Byer myself Lara. Were you with Alexis the entire time?"

"Yes sir," she replied.

"Then you have accepted the assignment?" he asked.

'Assignment? What assignment?' I wondered. "Yes sir," she replied.

"Good," said Oliver and smiled. "I know she is in good hands."

"Thank you sir," she said.

"Valente, don't you have work to do?"

"Yes sir," said Valente and quickly returned to her station.

"Alexis, would you join me please," he said extending his hand to me.

"Thanks again Lara," I said. "I hope to see you again soon."

"You will Alexis Perry," she said in that same unfriendly tone. "I am now your guardian."

I was confused. "My what?"

"Alexis," said Oliver in the same firm tone he used with Lara and Valente. "I will explain shortly, but not out here. Please join me."

I felt like Oliver was reprimanding me, so I quietly walked toward him and took his hand. He led me into the room he had just come from. As the door closed behind me, I saw Lara standing outside the door, as if she were standing guard. For the first time, I feared I would be the one punished for my tardiness and I didn't know what to expect. The room held a large, wooden looking table with several chairs around it. There was another door on the opposite side were I guess the meeting attendees had just exited through. A large window looked out at the vastness that was outer space. Oliver had released my hand and I wandered to the window, just staring out at the stars.

"Were you not able to see the windows in the rooms before?" he asked.

"There were windows?" I asked.

"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see?" he asked, his voice sounded strained.

"I didn't know I couldn't," I said. "I saw you, Rashad, Iman. But I didn't know your ship wasn't an ethereal white color with no windows."

"How did you figure this out?" he asked.

"Lara met me in the bath and offered to show me the ship before she brought me here and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to see it. When I asked her how you could tell what the rooms were as they all looked alike to me, she knew something was wrong so she took me to Byer who put this ... this ... thing on my face."

"I was starting to worry about you," he said. I could hear the concern in his voice.

"I didn't mean to make you worry," I said. "It's just ... once I could see things; I wanted to see ... well ... EVERYTHING! I mean ... your ship ... is incredible! Like nothing I've ever seen before. Please don't punish Lara for not bringing me straight here. She was only doing what I had asked, after Byer fixed my eyes that is. And she was by my side the entire time, even when Byer put these on me."

Oliver smiled and said, "I won't punish her, she knew when she met you she was to be your guardian and it seems she has done a fine job so far."

"Wait ... what ... she knew?" I asked.

"I sent her with the clothes, and told her if you weren't with a female guardian, that she was to become your guardian. Many of my guardians wanted to protect you, especially after..."

"The last one you assigned me gave me up?" I interrupted.

"How do you know about that?" he asked.

"Women gossip," I said. "I guess no one knew they weren't supposed to tell me."

"That guardian was new," Oliver said in a very morbid tone. "He was deceived by the trackers to reveal your location. Only as he died did he understand the gravity of his mistake."

"I heard they tortured another one," I said looking out at the stars.

"They did," said Oliver. "As guardians go, he was very brave. We had been sent a message; I guess you would call it a video, demonstrating what they did to him. How he survived so long I'll never understand."

I turned to Oliver. I could see the pain in his face. "You knew him, didn't you?"

"He was my first guardian," said Oliver. "I asked him to watch you for me. He felt honored to do it. The younger one was his son. Maybe that was my mistake. He was so eager to help and wanted to prove he was a good guardian like his father. Perhaps that's how he was so easily deceived. Lara, his daughter, is one of my best guardians, and since I don't have many female guardians on this ship, I knew she'd be the right one for you."

"May I ask you some questions?" I asked.

"Alexis," he said as he took my hand and led me to a chair. "You may ask me anything."

As I sat down, I asked, "When I saw you at my apartment complex, the first time. You seemed to disappear. How did you do that?"

Oliver snickered, "That was a simple illusion. I saw you run after me and look. You have no idea how much I wanted to run back to you, but I feared for your safety, so I stayed hidden."

"How did you know what Fleck and Wyman were doing to me?"

"I didn't at first," he said. "I only knew they'd found you and were going to question you. I didn't know who they were at first, not until we got the videos of the two guardians. It seems their sunglasses as you call them also act as, what you would call cameras. My crew began working on what else they were recording. I saw them talking to you that day I e-mailed you in the classroom, followed by their pushing you around and checking your e-mail. I also saw the later visit when Fleck hit you and you hit him back. Which by the way, nice hit."